


After the Fight

by JJo



Series: ABRN [3]
Category: RWBY
Genre: ABRN, Team ABRN
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-18
Updated: 2016-01-25
Packaged: 2018-05-02 05:12:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5235470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JJo/pseuds/JJo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Collection of sequential ABRN ficlets taking place after their defeat in the Vytal Tournament. The chapters are short pieces put out after each episode of Vol 3.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Wounded Pride

Arslan slammed down her mug on the stall counter, the glass emptied in one swig. Bolin looked up from sipping his own drink to watch his leader as she ground her teeth in frustration. Reese and Nadir were also aware of the girl’s bad mood and were not so subtly leaning away from her holding their drinks carefully as if prepping to run at any minute. “I can’t believe all that training and we got knocked out in the first round!” Arslan practically growled out, glaring at the booth owner to indicate her desire for a refill of her root beer. Reese leaned back on her stool and sucked on her straw, legs swinging back and forth. The slurping of her finishing her own drink seemed particularly loud as the man behind the counter quickly refilled the glass mug and got it back to her, foam dripping a little over the side in his hurry. Arslan didn’t seem to care though and just grabbed the handle and started chugging down her second serving. 

“Ah!” Reese smacked her lips happily once she her drink and put it down, waving way the offer of a refill. She smiled in fearless abandon at her angry neighbor. “Well yeah it really sucks. But Lan-lan somebody had to lose first round. We just happen to be the ones who did!”

“Stop calling me that! And no it didn’t have to be us! It wouldn’t have been us if you guys had shaped up and been even slightly useful! I swear I am carrying this whole team! You were the first one ringed out! Bolin if you had just attacked instead of running your mouth maybe you would have been able to take out their sniper! And Nadir! Did you even do anything?! This should have been easy, they have a member who is two years younger than us!” Arslan roared turning on each of her teammates in turn. Nadir hunched his shoulders and looked into his root beer unwilling to meet her eyes, Bolin rolled his before propping his head on his hand in a clear sulk. They knew better than to talk back when Arslan was like this, the only one who didn’t was-

“Hey speaking of which isn’t that team RWBY over at the Simple Wok booth?” Reese said looking out from the stall, one hand shielding her eyes as she squinted at the busy fairgrounds. Arslan’s head whipped around to follow her gaze and Bolin clenched at the air in disbelief at his teammate’s lack of tact and consideration in the situation. 

“I see them those arrogant pricks.” Arslan growled standing up from her stool. Nadir finally went into action, quickly stepping in front of the shorter girl.

“Come on Arslan, let’s not make a scene okay? We lost, nothing we can do about it! Let’s just enjoy the rest of the festival, what do you say?” He tried to placate her rage and distract her from the target. 

“Yeah we lost, so we got nothing to lose if we challenge them to a rematch.” Arslan said not being deflected.

“Arslan no, do you want to be sent back to Haven early for causing problem?!” Bolin said standing up hurriedly. He glanced back at the stall owner and slapped some lien on the counter. “Keep the change.” he told him before moving to join Nadir in keeping Arslan from doing anything rash. “What’s done is done Arslan.”

Arslan glanced at the two boys, ignoring Reese who was just spinning on her stool happily ignoring the chaos her offhand remark had caused. Finally Arslan crossed her arms with a sour expression and stopped boring holes in the back of team RWBY’s heads with her gaze. “Fine. Let’s just go. I don’t want to have to see them right now. In fact-” She glared up at the boys reaching out to grab Reese by the hood and pulling her to a sudden stop. “I say we go off and get in some training. Try to _fix_ some of the problems from today.” The relieved expressions on the boys faces were short lived as she said this and even Reese looked… concerned would be putting it nicely. 

“Aw no come on Lan-lan! This is supposed to be a festival for having fun!” Reese sputtered out, tugging uselessly at the grip on her hoodie. The boys exchanged a look and then suddenly turned and took off.

“We actually have other plans so-” Nadir’s words rushed out as he tried to make a run for it but Arslan whipped out her weapon, the bandage looking fabric grabbing both him and Bolin before they got far even though they had gone in separate directions. She pulled on the fabric and the two were jerked back to the stall, the back of their heads banging into each other at they reached her and they both dropped to the floor at Arslan’s feet.. She grabbed the two of their collars with her free hand and began to drag all three of her teammates along completely unfazed by their halfhearted attempts at freedom along the way.

“I’ve told you not to call me that. And I think some training is just what we need to that we can never repeat this kind of embarrassing situation.” Arslan continued pulling them away from the main fairgrounds.

“How about I call you Arse instead then- OW!” Reese’s muttering was interrupted by Arslan giving her a swift side kick to her ankle. “Okay! Okay!  I’m sorry!”


	2. What Ifs

“Man, why couldn’t we have fought in a forest terrain like this instead of an ice field?” Nadir sighed glancing up between the leaves at the floating Amity Colosseum above them. The next match had caused almost everyone to clear out the fairgrounds but team ABRN remained down on ground level to ‘train’. Or to be more accurate ‘went one on one with Arslan til they couldn’t stand anymore. Nadir was already exhausted, his scroll aura reading well into the red, so he laid in the grass trying to catch his breath while admiring the breeze.

“Ooof!” Reese fell to the ground beside him right on her butt. “Ooooow, twice in one day? Really?” She grumbled rubbing her sore posterior. 

“C’mon, your aura is still not in the red so we can continue training.” Arslan said pulling out of her crouched fighting stance, but her eyes were still fierce as she looked at Reese.

“That’s what I mean!” Nadir injected. “Reese slipping, me getting stuck… twice, that finishing blow that took all three of us out. If we hadn’t had an ice area I bet a lot of those couldn’t have happened and we’d have won!” 

“Most of that ice was created by the Schnee girl’s glyphs. Not the environment. It probably still would have played out the way it did.” Bolin said from the boulder where he perched looking down at the group of them. Or he had been, now he too was looking up at the Amity Colosseum. “Besides as Hunters we have to be able to take on every challenge we meet. Grimm won’t let us change to a more favorable location before we fight them.”

“Wanted to see the JNPR fight?” Reese said with a smirk as she hopped to her feet and with a jump onto her hoverboard floated up to where Bolin sat. He glanced at her briefly but his attention remained on the sky.

“They are the team that got Pyrrha Nikos after all. I was curious about them, and how the invincible girl was doing after heading to Vale for school rather than going to Haven like most people at Sanctum.” He said dismissively. 

“Beacon does have a great reputation…” Nadir suggested finally sitting up but not standing yet.

“That’s all well and good but it doesn’t really matter who is fighting since we were already disqualified in the first round!” Arslan spat out, her anger had calmed down quite a bit but she was still clearly sore about it.

“Not true, even if we aren’t continuing in the competition there’s still value to be taken from observing the fights of other to try and learn from them to enrich ourselves and grow as a fighter.” Bolin argued and Nadir and Reese quickly latched on to his position.

“Yeah! If we really want us to get better at fighting you should let us watch the rest of today’s fights! We’ll be able to enrich ourselves!” Nadir said excitedly looking to Arslan.

“Please, please, please, pleeeeease?” Reese joined in zipping over to their team leader her hands clasped together in pleading. Arlsan looked at them scowling but after a moment sniffed, putting her nose in the air.

“Fine. I guess that’s enough training for the day.” She acquiested. Nadir and Reese excitedly double hand fived exhaustion from sparring immediately forgotten. 

“Awesome! If we hurry we can catch the end of Pyrrha’s fight! Let’s go!” Reese zoomed off on her board leaving Nadir to run behind her calling for her to wait for him. As the two rushed off Arslan looked up at Bolin who still sat on the rock looking up at the leaves, she doubted he could even really see much of the arena through the canopy. “Aren’t you going to rush off and join them?” She asked.

“Mm, I guess.” Bolin said finally jumping down from the large rock. “Though if it is the Nikos I used to see at Sanctum then the fight will probably be over by the time we get to a viewing area.” He said calmly dusting himself off a bit. 

“Hmph, who knows. Maybe she ended up getting a bad team that’s weighing her down.” Arslan argued more simply for the sake of arguing, still in a somewhat belligerent mood. 

“What you mean like you did?” Bolin said with a smirk as he leaned down to be eye level with his shorter but stronger leader. Arslan glared sharply at him but then glanced down and away, her posture and expression becoming awkward. 

“You guys aren’t bad teammates. I mean, you could be stronger, but I don’t really think you are weighing me down or anything.” She muttered softly and haltingly. Positive reinforcement had never been her strong point. Bolin’s smirk turned into a genuine smile as he straightened out and started walking in the direction Reese and Nadir had taken off. 

“You should tell the other two that once in awhile. Though they may try to rush you to the hospital afterwards.” He said swinging his staff to lay across his shoulders, hands draping over it at the wrists. Arslan glared at his back but began to follow as well, arms crossed and shoulders hunched. “As for Nikos, well I’m sure she’s doing just fine, you know unless she got stuck with some kind of absolute beginner with no idea how to fight.”

“Yeah right, like that would happen.” Arslan grumbled.


	3. Conflict

Nadir watched the JNPR fight excited and a little bit scared. Like, wow! He knew Pyrrha was a world class fighter but she only did a little this fight. The real show stealer was her smallest teammate. Looking at the way team BRNZ was blasted away made him glad they had been dropped out early and relatively painlessly. (Though he had to admit he related to having multiple members taken out with one powerful hit out of the ring.) He’d never say as much out loud though, Arslan would glare at him if he did he was sure. So as the screen switched to just the commentators, two Beacon professors he believed, he leaned back in the chair he was sitting in focusing on not looking quite so relieved.

Glancing at his teammates it was interesting to see the range of reactions they had to the fight. Reese was on the edge of her seat, barely keeping still with an eager light in her eyes. She wasn’t as aggressive as Arslan, but in her own way she was even more eager for a good fight. She loved being in combat and testing herself and her skills. She probably was eager to fight team JNPR, or maybe even BRNZ, to see how she’d handle it. He thought the result wouldn’t be that different if they went up against JNPR, but Reese didn’t care as much about consequences and lived more in the moment.

Arslan was looking pissed. Which was kind of how she’d looked ever since they lost their fight but it had begun to ease up after all the exercise outside training. Now though she was likely having it reminded they wouldn’t be continuing in the tournament and getting mad all over again about that. The fact that BRNZ’s loss was similar to their own probably just made it even more ‘in your face’.

Bolin was also looking annoyed, but Nadir doubted it was for the same reason. Of his teammates Bolin was probably the least straightforward in his thoughts and emotions but still not impossible to read. Nadir knew that Bolin had ever since coming from Signal had a pretty strong admiration/respect thing for Pyrrha Nikos. Like he wasn’t sure if it was a crush or just fighter to fighter thing but it was definitely a thing that existed. Him being annoyed might be because she hadn’t fought much or something like that. Or it could be the same as Arslan, having their own defeat shoved in their face by BRNZ’s face. Nadir couldn’t pinpoint it exactly.

“So, preeetty cool fight huh?” He put forward to the group. He had gotten used to his role as the silence breaker in the group and no longer even felt awkward about it. Well, mostly. Depending on the situation. And their expressions. And other factors…

“Yeah! Did you see pinkie?! She rocked! I mean like taking that blow and then just _eviscerating_ that guy’s crotch! Then just grabbing the lightning like- Whoa!” Reese gushed hyped up. The guys shifted uncomfortably in their seats at the reminder of that part of the fight. Another reason Nadir never wanted to fight team JNPR right there.

“Their team work is awful though. Stopping to have a strategy meeting in the middle of the fight, the middle of the ring without cover or anything and just talking about silly stuff.” Arslan grumbled unimpressed.

“Like we have room to talk on that front.” Bolin muttered, crossing his arms.

“We had teamwork! You guys worked together to help me out right?” Nadir injected. It’s true their teamwork wasn’t the beeeest but they had improved a LOT since the beginning! “And Arslan fished us out from the ice ball!”

“Yeah, when we were in trouble we bailed each other out, but did we do any combination work? You know like the way RWBY took all three of out at the same time?” Bolin sneered. “It’s why I’ve tried to get you guys to practice together rather than always do your own things.”

Awkward silence descended again and Nadir didn’t even feel like trying to break it. It was true. Arslan always practiced on her own, when Reese ‘practiced’ with them she never took things seriously, Nadir… he often tried to practice on his own feeling embarrassed by his lack of strength compared to the others. Bolin was the strategist of their team who tried to get them to do stuff together but to be honest his sharp tongue and sarcastic words made it really hard to listen to him and more make you want to hit him.

“Well maybe if you weren’t such a smug jerk we’d actually want to cooperate with you.” Reese muttered roughly echoing Nadir’s own thoughts.

“A smug jerk? That’s rich coming from you skater punk wannabe.” Bolin shot back. “Are you even capable of listening to directions? Let alone following them?”

“Hey listen here you pretentious as-”

“Shut it both of you!” Arslan shouted at them.

“What you wanna go now Miss Lioness?” Reese challenged fearlessly, her mood was in full offensive now.

“I want you to obey your team leader!”

“Wouldn’t we need to be an actual team for you to be our team leader.” Bolin drawled.

“What did you say?”

“You heard me.”

“You two both are such giant di-”

“Hey! The team NDGO versus SSSN fight is starting!” Nadir raised his voice to inject, trying to at least distract the three from their shouting match. There was a tense moment where they all glared at each other, then Bolin turned and started walking away.

“I’m not interested. Have fun watching an actually competent teams fight. Maybe you’ll learn something.” He sneered back at them.

“Arrrrgh! Screw him! I’m outta here!” Reese left in the opposite direction, pulling her hoverboard out and jumping on it to glide away expression still angry. Nadir glanced at his remaining teammate. Her head was tilted down so he couldn’t see her expression but her shoulders were tensed up. Suddenly she lifted her arm and slammed her fist down into the coffee table in front of the couch they’d been sitting on just moments ago, enjoying watching the competition.  
Without saying a word or even looking at him she stormed away, anyone in her path quickly moving after one look at her face.

“Um, we might have to pay for this…” Nadir said to empty air looking at the destroyed table. NDGO vs SSSN started with cheers and fanfare but Nadir didn’t even look at the screen as he wondered what to do about his team.


	4. Doubts

Arslan moved quickly, her long rope with dart at the end swinging out only to have her pull it back before the line could go taunt. She wrapped it around her foot once then kicked out causing it to once again shoot out and once again she pulled it back in. She continued running through various moves using her feet, hands, neck and even her torso as points to bend the rope in different directions and build momentum for strikes. It was quick, the moves powerful and with no wasted movement. It wasn’t beautiful, it was strong. She wasn’t trying to be elegant or fancy. She didn’t fight as a show, she fought to win. Even if she was just fighting against her own doubts.

Her team had had a more intense fight than normal after watching the JNPR vs BRNZ fight and everyone had left in a huff to go their own way. Arslan had gone straight to where she felt most comfortable even in a different city. Outside. To be honest she didn’t really know her way around Beacon Academy that well, so she just returned to the spot they had been training at earlier which was positioned between the school and the fairgrounds. The tree coverage was thin but enough that people wouldn’t really see her and come over to gawk as they walked around enjoying the festival. The fights were over for the day but there was still plenty do to and enjoy for the Festival. Arslan didn’t want to deal with any merrymakers right now, whether strangers from other kingdoms or anyone from her own who might know her from her own. Especially her teammates.

She tried to completely throw herself into physical movement to keep her body and mind busy. But the thoughts crept in like little whispers distracting her concentration. Physically she never missed a beat, her strikes were precise and controlled, her rope never fumbled or went slack, the knife at the end didn’t twist or get out of her control. But her expression revealed her lack of 100% concentration. Finally with a spinning jump kick she allowed her rope to wrap back along her arm and disappear from notice, blade hidden among the wrappings. Arslan stayed in that position for a moment before plopping down on the ground with a ‘harumph’. She sat there legs akimbo, on elbow resting on her knee and hand supporting her head. The other hand was on her other knee. Physical exercise wasn’t helping her to clear her doubts and frustrations the way it normally would. 

She was the leader of her team. They didn’t really put heavy focus on the roles the team leaders played, after all leader or no every student of Haven had to be able to fight and handle situations where they may be on their own or without their leader present. No, outright pressure or expectations weren’t placed upon the leaders, but unspoken ones were. They were the ones responsible for their team, both for the good and the bad, and supposed to guide and manage their teammates into being able to perform at their best. Right? So did that mean this current fight, losing in the tournament, all the problems which ABRN had experienced boiled down to being her fault? Her hand on her knee tightened into a fist as she felt the guilt and anger flush through her. How could anyone expect her to handle that lot of trouble makers! They were impossible! They never listened to anything but force! She’d tried to compromise with them and understand them but that hadn’t gotten her anywhere! They still had argued and stormed off! They still had lost!

Arslan’s fist relaxed as she took a breath and released it. She glanced up at the fading sunlight coming through the trees. Remembering how just this afternoon Nadir and Bolin had been doing the same in this very spot while she sparred with Reese. She’d won, she always did. She wasn’t bragging to say she was the strongest member of her team. But they weren’t weak. Nadir could be a little hesitant to take action but he was always willing to take any job without complaint or talking back and once he had decided to take action he was determined and would not retreat. Reese was a little thoughtless but she was strong and versitle fighter who always went full out without holding back. Bolin talked too much and generally came off as an ass, but when it came to the team he probably put in the most thought into things and no one was better to watch your back. No they weren’t weak, and she’d beat up anyone who dared say otherwise. But had she caused them to be the subject of mockery by her own weakness? Not as a fighter but as a leader?

Feeling no better than before her exercise Arslan sat on the grass as the light faded into dusk.


	5. Awesome

Reese hovered about at pace best described as ‘toddering’. She didn’t really have any place she was headed so she just drifted. Deciding on random what direction to go, barely even watching where she was headed which if she had been moving at a faster pace may have resulted in accidents rather than verbal reprimands. 

She didn’t regret acting the way she had with her teammates, they had been too much! But… she wasn’t sure now how to go about making up with them. They fought, Arslan and Bolin had abrasive personalities and maaaaybe Reese could be a little insensitive or instigate problems. Maybe. But normally it just kind of blowed over, Nadir helping them too all move past their fight. This time felt different, and Nadir hadn’t run after her to help her calm down. Had she upset him too? Arslan and Bolin being mad at her was normal, but Nadir never had before. 

Sighing she glanced up, seeing her surroundings perhaps for the first time in awhile. She was in the front of Beacon, people walked about going to and from. Fights were over but the festival was still in full swing. Or at least fights were supposed to be over for the day. Sound of swords clashing drew attention to the middle of the walkway, two figures Reese didn’t know were fighting. She came to a full stop entranced by the fight.

Two adults, no way they were competitors in the tournament, were going at it and the fight grew more and more intense by the moment. The gray haired man seemed to be toying with the pale woman, enjoying the fight. She was getting more and more furious. Reese watched it all in awe, a smile unconsciously spreading on her face. This. This is what she was here for, what she was at Haven for! She wanted to be this badass and cool! She wanted to be confident and strong able to take on anything in her way! 

The fight came to an abrupt stop, to Reese’s disappointment (It was just getting good!) and the crowd’s. Reese was left wondering what had spurred on that fight anyway. Kids being immature and getting into fights, that was normal at school that trained Hunters, adults? Weren’t they supposed to set an example or something? Though to be fair that was exactly the kind of example Reese wanted adults to set for her. Cool, badass examples. But seriously, what was their deal? Some kind of drama between those two?

Would that be her and her teammates come ten years? Would rather than fighting together would they fight with each other not just in words anymore? Reese’s good mood dispersed with the crowd and she found herself back in her gloomy thoughts and began toddering away again.


	6. Observations

olin took a seat in the stands of Amity Colosseum. He was alone, none of his teammates beside him. The fight they had had the other day was still leaving a sour note between them. He’d gotten messages on his scroll from Nadir, no doubt trying to play peacemaker, but he’d ignored them. He was in no mood to deal with any of them even Nadir. And he knew if he did talk with them he’d probably just make things worse anyway with the mood he was in.

Likely his teammates were out in the stands as well. The appeal of watching the beginning of the doubles rounds was high, they were here to be a part of the Vytal Festival after all, even if after their loss in the first round it was only as spectators. But the seats he had chosen no one he knew was nearby. 

“Hey, that seat taken?” A young man’s voice pulled Bolin’s attention to his right and he saw someone who had to be another student with reddish brown hair and some pink sunglasses hanging from his shirt collar. 

“Feel free.” Bolin said disinterestedly as he tried to place why the guy looked familiar. Then again most of the students would in a way if they had fought in the tournament and he’d watched the fight. He was trying to figure out which fight it had been in when another familiar group arrived in the rown in front. Oh great, team RWBY all sitting right in front of him. Bolin bit his lip for a moment to keep himself from saying anything and was even more glad than before his teammates weren’t here. 

“You are from one of the teams from Mistral aren’t you?” His neighbor asked not noticing the girls picking seats and adjusting in front of them. Bolin decided to do the same and just ignore them. Sure it would be a little awkward if they spotted him but whatever. The only thing they could fight with out here was words and with that weaponry he could definitely give as good as he got.

“Yeah, you are from Vacuo right?” Bolin said returning his attention to the conversation and suddenly remembering why this guy looked familiar. “Your team was against JNPR, BRNZ. Sorry about the… yeah.” Bolin’s eyes couldn’t help but glance to the man’s crotch filling with pity and horror. That had been too brutal. 

“Yeeeah.” The blue eyes seemed to haze over in reminiscent pain. But he shook it off. “The name’s Nolan Porfirio.” He offered a hand and Bolin took it.

“Bolin Hori, team ABRN.” Bolin introduced himself and Nolan’s eyes widened and slid toward the group in front of them.

“Didn’t you fight…?” Nolan trailed off but Bolin knew what he was asking.

“Yeah.” Bolin said simply.

“Hm.” Was all Nolan said in reply gaining some points in Bolin’s book. If he’d pestered him about it or anything Bolin would have shoved his own teams humiliating defeat right back in his face, but he let it be which Bolin was happy for. Possibly because as bad as ABRN had done BRNZ and especially Nolan’s defeat had gone worse. It wasn’t bragging, it was just fact. I mean JNPR had completely forgotten they were in the middle of the fight and started talking about inane things and still won with one strike from their smallest member. “So any doubles you particularly looking forward to?”

Bolin considered Nolan’s question. “JNPR’s definitely, their bound to send out Nikos after all. Other than that maybe that all guy team…” Bolin struggled to remember their name.

“SSSN?” Nolan offered.

“No, the one from Beacon.” Bolin corrected. He knew team SSSN, they were classmates with them. An… lively bunch. Not that he should really say anything with Reese on their team. But the amount of attention she drummed up compared to that group. Seriously. They were just something else.

“Right, C something I think.” Nolan said thinking about it.

“Sounds right.” Bolin agreed and the two fell into small talk about the tournament and teams, avoiding bringing up their own fights in the team rounds. It was pretty enjoyable, Nolan wasn’t oblivious to subtle cues, he didn’t back off the minute Bolin said something rude or sarcastic, actually listened as Bolin spoke. Talking with Nolan reminded Bolin of how much Nolan wasn’t his teammates. But at the same time Bolin constantly thought about how if it had been Arslan she would have just rolled her eyes, or Nadir would have tried laughing off the comment with a smile, and Reese … Reese would be standing waving her fists in the air screaming at the combatants when she didn’t even know their names but was just so hyped. As much as he enjoyed talking with Nolan he couldn’t stop thinking about his team…


	7. All Together

Nadir watched the first fight of the double rounds, another Haven versus Beacon fight though he wasn’t really all that enthusiastic about cheering for his school. It was an amazing fight sure, he just wasn’t into it. Well actually he more just assumed it was an amazing fight from the cheers of people around him. Honestly his attention kept going to his scroll. His outbox was crowded with messages to his teammates, but he hadn’t gotten one reply from any of them.

He sighed glancing once again down at his scroll, finger hovering over his contacts list as he wondered if he should send another message out and if so to who and what to say. The pictures by each contact reflecting how different of personalities they had. Arslan’s was like a school photo complete with a forced awkward smile. Bolin tried a bit too hard to look like he didn’t care how he looked in the photo, acting all cool. Reese was the most natural, giving a cheerful smile while sticking her tongue out and giving a peace symbol and winking at the camera. How was he supposed to get such different people to talk to him?

The fight ended and Nadir drifted with the crowds down to the fairgrounds in between fights constantly fiddling with his scroll indecisively. He had managed to move from contacts to pictures. Going through his gallery trying to distract himself. It wasn’t much of a distraction though. Interspersed between pictures he’d taken of pretty scenery on the trip to Vale and cool food he’d eaten were pictures he snagged of his teammates. Everyone on the ship over, Bolin looking a little green. At a nightclub Reese dragged them to, she was dragging Arslan onto the dance floor. Scrolling back there were even more photos of them at school and scrolling all the way back he managed to find a shot he liked the most. They’d just been announced as a team by the headmaster, team ABRN, lead by Arslan Altan. He’d pulled them together for a selfie. He was beaming, Reese was smiling so widely you could barely see even her eyes. Arslan looking a little shell shocked but trying to play it off as being confident, but trying to be composed. Bolin was looking a tad annoyed and to this day Nadir still wasn’t sure if it was not being named leader or Nadir grabbing him to pull him into the shot.

“Hey Nadir, you going to watch the next fight? That RWBY team you guys fought versus FNKI from Atlas.” A friend from Haven called out to him startling him. He fumbled his scroll, bouncing it from hand to hand as he tried not to drop it and finally got a good grip. “Distracted?” His friend commented.

“Heh heh, yeah. Thanks for letting me know.” He smiled at him and waved as they continued on their way. Once they had moved past him his smile dropped and he sighed, leaning his head back so that he was looking straight up at the floating coliseum above them all. Should he go to absently watch another fight? Though… this was team RWBY. He could kind of put the blame for his problems on them if he really stretched the truth and ignored his own guilt. He could maybe burn through his frustration by cheering for FNKI? At the very least he had nothing else to do so might as well.

When he got up to the stands they were still deciding the terrain. It was the girl who froze him and the blonde that knocked most of the team off the deck. Urk. He really didn’t want to see them. Though for the same reason he didn’t want to is probably why they had been put forward for the doubles round. He hadn’t seen FNKI’s team match so the bright haired girl and sharp dressed man were new to him. Rather than sit down he just stood on by the rails on the tier he was on. He was jumped when someone spoke to him.

“Came to watch too?” Nadir looked over shocked to see Reese standing next to him, holding two things of cotton candy, a giant tub of popcorn, and a soda. He felt a flush of relief go through him. Before he could say anything though she shoved one of the cotton candy cones at him. “Want one? I, um, bought too many.” She said awkwardly not making eye contact.

“Thank you.” He said relieved and happy as he took the offered snack. He’d seen Reese chow through piles of sweets and junk food back in Haven so that she’d ‘bought too many’ was a complete excuse. “I’m surprised you didn’t buy more.” He said biting into the fluffy sweet cloud.

“Well I mean Arslan and Bolin wouldn’t eat any even if I bought it for them.” Reese muttered into her own cotton candy taking a huge bite herself.

Well you got that right.” Nadir coughed as another familiar voice spoke up on the other side of them. Bolin walked up to the rail, turning when he got there to wave farewell to a student Nadir vaguely recognized but couldn’t place though the pink sunglasses were a touch distinctive. The guy waved back and went off to grab a seat. Reese it seems remembered more of him than Nadir had.

“Isn’t that the guy who can never have children after the team fights?” She said leaning back to watch the guy leave.

“Reese!” Bolin snapped at her with a sharp look. Nadir felt himself go pale as he remembered finally where he knew the guy from and shifted uncomfortably in sympathy.

“C’mon, we both know I could have said something muuuuuuch worse after that fight.” Reese said throwing popcorn into her mouth. Before anyone could say anything else she suddenly leaned forward excited shoving more popcorn into her mouth and talking around the mouthful. “It’s started!”

The fight started with a bang as the combatants split and squared off individually. Nadir though kept stealing glances at his teammates, surprised and happy to see them again. Talking to each other like normal. There was still a bit of tension, but they seems to be forcing themselves. Things weren’t exactly patched up, but they were here, trying to pretend they were. He could tell by the way Bolin kept shifting, and Reese rather than talk excitedly just kept stuffing her mouth and forcing her attention to stay just on the fight before them.

“So, uh, guess we should cheer on FNKI!” Nadir said trying to clear the tension. “They are doing pretty good so far, huh?”

“We’re going to root for team RWBY.” A voice behind him had Nadir perk up. The final member of the team walked toward them. Shortest of the group but she still seemed to have the most presence.

“Huh?!” Reese turned sharply to look at her leader and Nadir was staring at her too. Bolin stayed turned toward the fight but his eyes slid toward them.

“We’re cheering for RWBY.”

“But, they beat us. Should we be mad at them?” Reese questioned tilting her head.

“That’s not honorable behavior.” Arslan scolded. Nadir couldn’t help but think back to the other day when Arslan wanted to have a rematch and tear RWBY apart. Seems she had had a change of heart since then… “ Besides, if RWBY wins it means they were the strongest. But since we didn’t fight anyone else we could have been the second strongest just bad luck had us matched against them in the first round.” Ah, that sounded more like her.

“That is incredible convoluted, and selfish, logic.” Bolin drawled, then smiled back at her. “But I like it. Sure, let’s support team RWBY.”

“I love it! Yeah that’s totally what happened!” Reese said excited going and throwing an arm around Arslan in happy acceptance.

“Yes. And it’s not selfish. Our team, ABRN, is a great team. It’s not selfish, it’s reasonable because we are strong and capable. Right?” Arslan said it more as a statement than a question as she looked up at Nadir and Nadir couldn’t stop the smile on his face.

“Yeah, we are.” Nadir said happily. Suddenly noises from the crowds surged up and Nadir turned back around to the arena they all had forgotten about. Yang Xiao Long stood alone out there and the boards announced RWBY’s advancement to the finals. He felt himself beaming at it.

“Alright!” Reese shouted striking a fist into the air. “Whooooooooooot! Go RWBY! Now let’s go get some eats to celebrate!”

After all that junk food earlier you’re still hungry?” Bolin said though his smile was warm softening the remark.

“Sounds good to me.” Nadir said then had a thought. “But first…” He pulled out his scroll and started the camera up. “A picture!” He held it up and snapped a shot of the four of them before anyone could really do more than look up at the camera. Still the photo looked good, his team all together.


End file.
